Dirigible headlight



April 17, 1928. 7 1,666,867

w. M. SWEET DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Jan.29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet i 1 N VENTOR.

BYMJW? 521E613 ATTORNEY.

A ril 17, 1928.

W. M. SWEET DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29,, 1927 cally claimed.

Patented Apr. 17, 19 28.

{ I EDS A g a 1,666,867 PAT OFFICE.

WILLIS M. SWEET, or miss; MICHIGAN.

D IRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed January 29,1927. Serial No. 164,603.

This invention relates to dirigible headlights for automobiles and has special reference to improvements in the operating mechanisms for such lights, the operating mechanisms beingot the general. class shown and described in my priorv Patent No.

1,599,689, dated Septcmber14, 1926, and in my application for patent on dirigible headlights filed December 7, 19 26,, Serr No. 153,160. 1' v y a As pointed out in the specification of my copending application aforesaid, in" the usual construction of dirigible head lights which are connectedto the steering gear in such manner that the angle of direction of the headlight corresponds to the angle at which the steering wheels are set in turning,

difficulty is experienced "because the head light does not turn quickly enough to show the side of the road to which the vehicle is about t0-moveand where the Wheels are set at a small an le, the beam fromsuch head light strikes t e side of the road so far in advanceot the position of thejcar th'atjthe carmay run entirely off the road without the operator being aware of his danger. I

; The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide an iniproved mechanism whereby a dirigible headlight -may be so connected to the steering mechanism of the automobilethat a slight movement of such steering mechanism will cause the beam of the head light to move quickly to the proper side of the road, the mechanism being so arranged that the wheels'may be swung further by the usual steerlngl mechanism without causing further movement of the headlight beam.' In other 6 words, the actuating. mechan sm of the head light'causesthe beam from the latter to parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifi- In the accompanyinghdriawings lik e charaeters of reference indicate like partsfin the several views, and

reve isafront v w f a pert n. at n automobile showing the improved" mechanisin mounted thereon, the outline of the head lightbeing indicatedin the dotted lines in Ordeifto better show the mounting of the mechanism; 6

' Figure sis aside elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the mechanism and drawn to an en-' larged scale.

- Figure 4 1s a section on the line of 3 .Figure 3 with the parts shown in the porecting its beam straight ahead. I

with the parts shown in the position assumed I the right.

As'here illustrated there is shown one embodiment ofthe invention especially adapted for. use on low head lights such as arelocated jclos'elyabovexthe front axle 10 of the auto- 'sition assumed when the head light is di- V Figure 5 isa view slmilar'to Figure 4but when the headlight is directing'its beam to mobile. As is usualthis front axle is supported beneath the body of the automobile byaal spring 11 and theautom'obile is provided with fenders one of which isindicated at 12." Secured to fthe underfside of the sure 16 secured to the casing bybolts or forked upper end 19 here through a asses a clamping bolt '20 carrying a clamp and 21 1tender 12 means ofbolts" 13is a'brac'ket 14 carrying onits lowerend a casing 15 open at thebottom and provided with a bottom closcicws 17." Journaled infthe casing 15 and; cover-163s a lamp opening pin-orv shaft 18. which is vertically positioned and has a which surrounds the neck or shank 22 01 a a:

drum-type head light or spot light 23. Obviously, while a d-rum-t/Iype light has here been showniother types may alsoibe used The shank22 secured in the band 211by'a set screw, 24;. With this arrangement the headlight'maybe swung to right or left'on the vertical axis of the shaft 18v and may be ad justed for throwing its beam at the proper vertical point by rotating the band 21 onthe boltQO. Vithin the' casi'ng 15 there is fitlUl) the shaft 18 a hub 2.5 which is secured ot' aTset screw 26 so that the lamp can be manually adjusted for lateral directions of IhbehflfWlfil thefhub f25 is held station-- arypllhfis hub is providedwith a rearwardly extendingtongue 26 having a slot .27 therein and a double ended spring 28, suppoltd n dpins haSfitS' ends pressing in'ajdjusted position on theshaft by means I tion. gear 31 and cause the pin 33 to move in the against opposite sides of the tongue 26 so as to hold the slot 27 normally in position directly behind the axis of the shaft 18.

The casing 15 alsosupports a shaft 30 whereon is mounted a segmental gear 31, the gear extending about 180 degrees and being provided with a fork 32 embracing the tongue 26 and carrying a pin33 which passes through the slot 27. A further shaft 33 is carried by the casing 15 paralleled to and rearwardly of the shaft 30 and on this shaft 33' is mounted a segmental gear34'which meshes. with the gear 31 and is provided with a pivot lug 35 extending rearwardly of the casing through an opening 36 made in said casin This pivot lug is provided with a horizontal opening wherethrough passes a pivot pin 37 on which is pivoted the front end ofa telescope sleeve 38 which can thus swing in a vertical position. Slidably mounted in the telescope sleeve 38 is a teler scope pin 39 which projects rearwardly from the sleeve 38 and is connected by a ball andsocket joint 40 with a clamp collar 41 adapted to be clamped by bolts 42 on the tie bar 43 of the automobile steering mechanism, this tie bar being that commonly used to connect the steering knuckles of the front wheels.

It will be obvious that the clamp members .41 and screws 42 constitute a securing device for connecting the mechanism to the steer- .ing mechanism of a car. i

In operation will be seen that shifting of the tie bar to the right or left will swing the segmental gear 34 in the opposite direc This in turn will affect the segmental same direction as'the tiebar 43. From an inspection of. Figures 4 and 5 1t Wlll be seen I that thc pin 33, when the parts are centrally positioned, is at the front end of the slot 27 so that the lover ratio tending .to turn the shaft 18 is great at this time and a slight angular movement of the pin 33 will produce a, much greater angular movement of the shaft 18 thus causing the beam projected from the lamp 23 to swing more'rapi'dly than the steering wheels and enabling the driver to observe the side of the road. As the movement of the wheels under the influence of the bar 43 approaches its end, the lever ratio will. become more near uniform until a point, such as that indicated at 44 in Figure '5 has been. reached. At this time the beam direction will have attained its practical maximum, deviation and the pin 33 should. be about the center of the slot 27.

I Ioweveiy-the steering wheels, under these conditions, have not yet reached their devia tion and the bar 43 may be further moved to bring such steering wheels to .the point of maximumldeviation whereupon the pin 33 will pass to the rear end of the slot 27 with practically no change of appreciable extent in the direction of the beam. By this means the beam is swung in advance of the move ment of the steering wheels to its maximum deviation and the steering wheels may be swung to-their maximum deviation without materially affecting the position of the beam during the latterpart of the swinging movement of said steering wheels.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified. I, v

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is: r

1. In an operating mechanism for dirigible head lights, a vertical shaft for support ing ahead light, a securing device for connecting the mechanism to the steering mecha nism of a car, a second shaft parallel to the first, a pin and slot device operatively connecting the shafts and arranged to initially move the first shaft at agreaten'angular velocity than the second shaft andthereafter movethefirst shaft at a graduallydecreasing a-ngularfratio to the angular movement of the second shaft, said mechanism. including a segmental gear on the second shaft, a third shaft, a segmental gear on the third shaft meshing with the first segmental gear, a pivot lug carried by the second gear, and a telescopic connecting device having one end connected to the pivot'lug for vertical swinging movement and the other end provided with a ball and socketconnection to said securing device. V i

2. In an operating mechanism for dirigible head lights, a vertical shaft for supporting a head light, a securing device for connecting the mechanism to the steering mechanism of a car, a secondshaft'par'allel to the first, a boss on said first shaft, means for securing said boss on saidshaftadjustablypa tongue projecting rearwa-r dly from said boss and having a slot therein normally alined' behind the axis of the boss, a second shaft, a segmental gear carried by the second shaft and provided with a fork embracing saidfirst, a boss on said first shaft, meansfor securing said boss on said'shaft adjustably, a

ion

carried by the second shaft and provided with a fork embracing said tongue, a pin eX- tending through the fork and slot, a third shaft, a segmental gear on the thirdshaft meshing With the first segmental gear,,a pivot lug carried by the second gear and a telescopic connecting device having one end connectedto the pivot lug for vertical swinging movement and the other end provided with a ball and socket connection to said securing device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIS M. SWEET. 

